Elon Musk is being sued for defamation by the British rescue diver he recently accused of being a pedophile, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Monday.
Musk called Vernon Unsworth — a diver that criticized Musk’s attempts to help the Thai soccer team trapped in a cave as a “PR stunt” — a “pedo guy” in July. After apologizing for his comment and saying that it was “spoken in anger,” the Tesla chief later called Unsworth a “child rapist” in an email to BuzzFeed News.
Unsworth said in the suit, which was obtained by TheWrap on Monday, that he’s “never engaged in an act of pedophilia” and is “not a child rapist.” He added that Musk aimed to destroy his reputation “by publishing false and heinous accusations of criminality against him to the public.” He’s seeking at least $75,000 in damages and an injunction for Musk to “refrain from making further publication of the False and Defamatory Accusations.”
Musk and a representative did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
In a summer full of controversial moments for Musk, his war of words with Unsworth is one of the most bizarre. SpaceX, Musk’s rocket company, built a submarine to help rescue the soccer team trapped in an underwater cave. The submarine wasn’t used in the rescue mission, and Unsworth criticized it, saying it wasn’t a viable option. Musk “can stick his submarine somewhere where it hurts,” Unsworth said in August. The dig irked Musk, spurring his “pedo guy” comment.
After apologizing, Musk called out Unsworth again in late August, asking why he hadn’t filed a lawsuit if Musk’s claims were untrue. Musk emailed BuzzFeed later that week, saying Unsworth moved to Thailand “for a child bride who was about 12 years old at the time.” Unsworth has a 40-year-old girlfriend, according to his lawsuit.
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
10 Most Shocking Russian Troll Posts on Facebook and Instagram, From Hillary Clinton to Police Brutality (Photos)
The U.S. House Intelligence Committee on Thursday released more than 3,500 advertisements and posts spread by Russian trolls before and after the 2016 U.S. election. Below is a look at 10 of the most shocking examples that stood out from Congress's reveal.
House Intelligence Committee
Many posts pushed the narrative that Hillary Clinton would confiscate guns if she were elected President.
House Intelligence Committee
This graphic meme painted cops as KKK members attacking a young black child.
House Intelligence Committee
Only "sissies" and other undesirables wouldn't support Donald Trump, many of the memes said.
House Intelligence Committee
President Obama was a "pawn" and "traitor" in the hands of "Arabian Sheikhs," said one 2016 ad.
House Intelligence Committee
The "Black Matters US" page touched on hot button issues like police shootings.
House Intelligence Committee
The "Army of Jesus" page shared a bible verse, along with this meme.
House Intelligence Committee
Russian trolls also used Instagram to spread sponsored political memes.
House Intelligence Committee
The "Blacktivist" page routinely shared memes on Colin Kaepernick and other football players kneeling during the national anthem.
House Intelligence Committee
"Heart of Texas" routinely posted on "Killary Rotten Clinton," and threatened to secede from the union if she won the election.
House Intelligence Committee
The "Being Patriotic" page labeled ex-cons as "Obama voters."
House Intelligence Committee
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Congress just released 3,500 posts touching on a myriad of topics
The U.S. House Intelligence Committee on Thursday released more than 3,500 advertisements and posts spread by Russian trolls before and after the 2016 U.S. election. Below is a look at 10 of the most shocking examples that stood out from Congress's reveal.